Even with a shortened summer, many students still managed to have some fantastic adventures! For starters, a great number of students traveled abroad, either with school or family. Maggie Walker sponsored several trips this summer, including the Italy trip with Mr. Ross and Madame Hefty, and the art trip, where many students were given the opportunity to explore various areas of Europe. Others were able to use the break to take summer courses and gain credits. Whether students traveled outside of the United States or stayed close to home, the summer of 2022 proved to be both refreshing and eventful.

Maggie Josefiak (‘26) traveled to Hawaii over the summer and attended a camp she had been going to for summers before. In Hawaii, she went hiking on various terrains. On one of the hikes, she explored one of the only four beaches with green sand in the world. The only way to get to the beach was down a steep hill. “There was this rickety ladder that you used and then had to slide down the rocks to get to the beach,” Josefiak described. When asked what her favorite part about Hawaii was, Josefiak said, “I liked all of the beaches and how pretty they were.” She talked about how each beach was unique and varied throughout the island. Josefiak also stated that she enjoyed the food; one of the restaurants she went to was located on a cliff and had delicious fish tacos and sushi. At summer camp, which she had been attending each summer for the past five years, Josefiak said, “We did ziplining, ropes courses, paddle boarding, sailing, and camping.” Overall, she said these two parts of her summer were lots of fun.

Another student, Millind Murthy (‘24), spent most of the summer in New York studying acting and doing some stand-up comedy. After acting class, Murthy said he would either do stand-up comedy or take time to explore the city. At the conservatory he attended, Murthy was with around 16 other people who were there to work on acting as well, and they acted for about 35 hours each week. An extra benefit of his time in New York was “just kind of living in the city by myself and getting to experience what that was like.” When asked what his favorite part of his time in New York was, Murthy stated, “I would say honing my skills as an actor but also making connections and meeting new people.”

Deepanshi Kumar (‘26) took a trip to the Outer Banks and went on a cruise to the Caribbean. She said her favorite part of the cruise was “honestly, just being in the sea because it was [my] first time on a cruise.” Kumar also got to enjoy many activities on the cruise, such as trivia and swimming in the pool on the cruise deck. While in the Caribbean, she said, “It was cool because the water was really clear and the beaches were beautiful.” In the Outer Banks, Kumar also noted how it was really fun and enjoyable because it was less crowded due to the size of the Outer Banks, especially compared to places like Virginia Beach. At the beach, Kumar enjoyed spending her time boogie boarding with her brothers.

This summer allowed for relaxation, as well as opportunities to learn and visit unique places for several members of the Maggie Walker Governor’s School community. Students still made the best of the shortened summer, taking the time to enjoy their break and prepare for the next school year.